CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

Introducing TSP Marketing

February 14, 2011 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

Known for constantly thinking outside of the box, TSP Marketing leverages traditional marketing, public relations and innovative social media marketing to uniquely and effectively position their clients and services, to create and maintain a strong presence in the marketplace, and grow their businesses.  In 2007, Taryn also founded Women Intelligently Networking (WIN!)®, a premier online and offline community of business women headquartered in Atlanta.

Business Bootcamp for Wonder Women 2 Day Atlanta Conference on Feb 25 + 26 is for women entrepreneurs, small businesses, brick and mortar store owners, attorneys, doctors, professionals bloggers and other professionals. The BBWW Conference will be offering over 30 how-to sessions, panels and workshops on marketing, technology, social media, law and sales and development.

Women Intelligently Networking (WIN!)® is generously offering a special for the CRAVE Atlanta community through February, 15th!  Use VIP code: CRAVE2011 to receive $40 off the general admission ticket.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Innovative, Magnetic, Dynamic

What are your most popular products or services?
- social media marketing workshops / lunch + learns
- public relations and marketing consulting
- business networking and referral marketing coaching
- public speaking

People may be surprised to know…
I’ve been using «social media» since 1990. At age 12, I started my first online community and am still friends with many of those members.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
I made the choice to take control of my life, to not to conform to others’ rules but rather create my own game, call my own shots and surround myself with great people. My biggest fan, my husband, was instrumental in this realization.

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Learning and mastering the fine art of delegation!

How do you spend your free time?
At the gym, often brainstorming on how to continue adding value to my networks and communities… I’m also a conference jetsetter and public speaker.

What is your indulgence?
I have a few! Interacting with my social networking communities (Twitter and Facebook). Sushi… And listening to really great dance music, preferably at the gym.

Fresh Face: Allie Bashuk

December 17, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

We’re excited to introduce Fresh Face Fridays, a new series that will feature a new up-and-coming entrepreness each week),  This week, meet Allie Bashuk of The Campus Style and Young, Foxy and Free!

This emerging entrepreness is the creative genius behind The Campus Style, a site that gives college students the opportunity to explore their inner-entrepreneur while developing real world skills in networking, marketing, and PR, all the while discovering what drives and empowers them to represent their Campus Style.  Her latest venture, Young, Foxy & Free, is a beautiful free quarterly art/creative magazine that bridges the generation gap of creatives throughout the city.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Young, Foxy & Free… seriously! But that’s too obvious. So for an alternative- I’ll say bright-eyed, optimistic and driven.

What is your biggest goal for the future of your business?
I have two personal projects under my belt right now- Young, Foxy & Free and The Campus Style. My goal for YFF is to bring together creative minds of every generation and genre in Atlanta. YFF is a community-driven, free quarterly glossy gallery-on-the-go. I want to spread the energy and vibe of being Young, Foxy & Free.

The Campus Style trains its contributors for things you can’t necessarily learn in a classroom. We are providing college students the opportunity to explore their inner-entrepreneur, helping them develop skills in networking, marketing, PR, all the while discovering what drives and motivates them to represent their own campus’ style. While they’re studying and surveying all the things that represent “style” at their school and sharing it with their peers on a daily basis, they just so happen to be developing the skill sets of a real-world go-getter… and becoming this generation’s cultural-savants.

What is one thing you could not live without?
My iPhone. Geeky and sad but true.

What is your favorite thing about living in Atlanta?
The emerging creative movers and shakers that are all around. There are so many people doing great things and working to put Atlanta on the map- and their voices are growing stronger and opening my eyes.

What inspired you to start your business?
Young, Foxy & Free was started as a project by my friend, mentor, and colleague Michael Lachowski (michaellachowski.com) in Athens, GA. I worked with him on it- and when I moved to Atlanta to work at Scoutmob, I was exposed to the quality creative work going on here. I knew YFF could thrive here- so we are launching the winter 2011 calendar issue, where we feature 12 emerging and established artists from the community. And we will carefully distribute it to quality businesses in town that support the energy of the magazine.

The Campus Style was inspired by my time in undergrad at UGA. I started UGA Style out of boredom- it was a satirical fashion blog that evolved into a style blog- covering the culture, fashion, music, art scene of Athens, Georgia. It’s amazing how an idea can grow and things just fall into place. After some good feedback, I got the harebrained idea to plant the “college style blog” seed at different colleges.

What is your favorite part of being an entrepreneur?
Mixing business with pleasure. I enjoy what I do. Being my own boss allows me to work on projects I’m truly passionate about- as opposed to doing menial busy work in a cube farm.

If you could have dinner and talk about business with one person, who would it be?
Diane Von Furstenberg. She is empowering, innovative, positive, and confident. And as far as I’m concerned- confidence never goes out of style.

If you could give one piece advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Young, Foxy & Free is a state of mind for me- it never changes with age. This is the most exciting time to be alive. Don’t be bored.

Congratulations, Allie. We wish you all the best!

Stay connected with Allie and her businesses here:
@LocalWanderer
@TheCampusStyle
@YoungFoxyFree

CRAVE Tweet Up: Social Media Week

November 1, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

WHAT: Social Media Atlanta CRAVE Tweet Up
WHEN: Thursday November 11, 6:00-8:00
WHERE: Spice Market- W Midtown Atlanta 188 14th Street, NE
PRICE: FREE (cash bar)

Come out and join the savviest women in the city for a special CRAVE Atlanta Tweet Up event for Social Media Atlanta.

As the #2 Most Wired City in the U.S. according to Forbes magazine, it’s no mystery why Atlanta is also one of the top cities in social media.  Many multinational companies call Atlanta home and have fully embraced the power of this new medium using it to reach out to consumers and build communities around their brands.

Social Media Atlanta is a week-long series of events which will celebrate the technology and social media marketing achievements of Atlanta.

Sip and savor CRAVE-able cocktails and delicious bites from Spice Market with Atlanta’s top social media mavens as we kick off our search for the best female entreprenesses to include in our 2011 book, which will be published next spring.

Inspired by the vibrant street life of Southeast Asia, Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown enchants guests with adventurous flavors from internationally renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.  The restaurant’s bold dishes include everything from chili crusted short ribs with egg noodles to spiced chicken samosas with cilantro yogurt.

Don’t miss out on your chance to mix and mingle with your favorite Atlanta tweeps. Entry is FREE: tweet you there!

SPONSORED BY:

Meet Ladies Who Launch

October 22, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

There is a MOVEMENT of women who want freedom and passion in their lives.  Ladies Who Launch is a support community with tools and resources for these women.  Their mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible to every woman at every phase of launching, embracing creativity and entrepreneurship as a lifestyle.

Reserve your seat now for the biggest launch of the year: Dream it! Launch it! Live it! This is your chance to connect and network with the largest worldwide community of women who are REINVENTING what it means to be a successful entrepreneur.  Held simultaneously in New York and Seattle on November 7–9, 2010!  Click HERE to register and for more information.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Creative, Collaborative, Community

What are your most popular products or services?
The Incubator Intensive Workshop series and our annual one-day LIVE! Event

People may be surprised to know…
Women rank «Freedom & Flexibility» and «Creativity & Passion» ahead of «Money» as reasons for starting a business.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
My desire to never have to be anywhere before 10 am

Who is your role model or mentor?
Nigella Lawson: vivacious, curvaceous business goddess running an empire from her kitchen

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Trying to do everything by myself rather than delegating/partnering/outsourcing everything I can

How do you spend your free time?
Free time? Does working on my other business, «The Curvy Life,» count?

What is your indulgence?
Highlights and hair serum

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Hello Stiletto Shoe Club

The Weekly CRAVE-ing

September 10, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

Ready for the low-down on all that is CRAVE-able in Atlanta this week??  Look no further than the brand-spanking new “Weekly CRAVE-ing,” our guide to upcoming special events, deals and happenings all over our fabulous city!  From fashion to food to events and people, we’re your source for everything you CRAVE in Atlanta!

Midtown Restaurant Week
September 4 – 12, 2010
Are you CRAVE-ing a delicious meal paired with a glamorous night out on the town?  Midtown Restaurant Week is wrapping up this weekend.  With 30 participating restaurants with cuisines ranging from Contemporary American and Asian to Mediterranean and Italian, there is surely something for everyone to enjoy.  Each location boasts a special Gourmet Prix-fixe Menu for only $25, and some even include a $15 lunch menu as well. All reservations can be booked online through Open Table. Go ahead, grab your girlfriends for some great noshing and drinking!

Pizza & A Block Party
Looking for a great way to unwind and end a busy week?  Then you are in for a treat because Antico Pizza is hosting a block party Friday September 10 from 1-4pm!  There is no better way to say goodbye to summer than spending time noshin’ on pizza with your best friend and a glass of wine.  Treats from The King of Pops and Westside Creamery only sweeten the deal!

fab’rik FASHION’S NIGHT OUT
Four fabulous fashion events makes for one fantastic night! Come out to one of four  fab’rik locations this Friday, September 10, for a shopathon full of outrageous deals.  Regardless of your style CRAVE-ing, you are sure to find something ultra-chic.

fab’rik BUCKHEAD: 7-9pm, find the perfect date night outfit with Chili
fab’rik CITYWALK: all day, find the perfect jeans with fab’rik’s fit specialists
fab’rik MIDTOWN: all day, find the perfect fitting trends for fall
fab’rik FORUM: 6-9pm, find the perfect haute mom outfit with Lisa

Food Blog Forum Seminar
Are you a foodie looking to take your blog to the next level?  Fegister now for the Atlanta Food Blog Forum taking place this Saturday, September 11, 2010, from 9:00am to 4:30pm at The Shed at Glenwood. Register today to gain insight from a wide array of insight from panelists like John Kessler, Virginia Willis, Jaden Hair, Todd Porter, and Diane Cu. Don’t miss out on this CRAVE-worthy opportunity!

Happy Birthday to The Porter!!
There is no better way to wind down your summer of fun, than with an ice cold mid-day beer. Head on out to The Porter’s Birthday Party this Saturday at 12pm to celebrate with some wild and crazy brews!  Over the past year, The Porter has been saving some of its wild and craziest kegs and are taking this occasion to tap them all. Whether is an Allagash Blonde or a Founder’s Canadian Breakfast Stout that you CRAVE, this one day bash is not one you want to miss. And if that doesn’t sound fabulous enough, the first 300 guests get to go home with a free Porter beer mug!

CRAVE Ice Cream Social
Join us at the Irwin Street Market on Sunday, September 19 at 3pm for a special CRAVE “Ice Cream Social,” generously hosted by Jake Rothschild of Jake’s Ice Cream.  And as a special treat, Jake is creating a new CRAVE ice cream flavor, chosen by YOU!! We need YOUR help creating the most CRAVE-able flavor ever. Check out the challenge here and post your most tastebud-popping flavors!

Chat Recap: When Life Gives You Lemons, Start a Lemonade Stand

August 26, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (3)

Last night’s CRAVE Chat: When Life Gives You Lemons, Start a Lemonade Stand, was a night full of fun, great conversation, hilarious stories and inspiration.  Incase you were unable to attend, or just want to re-live the evening, here is a recap of the chat with everything from personal antidotes to inspirational Q & A!

How They Started Their Lemonade Stands:

Christy Annis peasforprosperity.com	Christy had an eye opening experience when she got fired from her job last June.  It made her realize she was on the wrong path.  Declaring herself “The Queen of Free Labor,” she helped everyone she knew, all in the hopes of networking and landing a new job.  She came up with the concept for “Peas for Prosperity” in late October of last year and intended the venture as only a seasonal project to help her land a “real” job.”  300 bags later, and Christy official began her reign as Atlanta’s Pea Queen.  She began creating jewelry with peas and later sustainable materials.  She launched her ecofriendly jewelry line, EcoREcreations, in July 2010.  Christy is thankful for her Second Chance in life and is dedicated to helping others who need a Second Chance. Twitter: @peas4luck Facebook page
Patti Davis designismagazine.com anatomyofadinnerparty.com	Patti’s career change began with a trip to the movies.  After seeing Julie and Julia, her husband turned to her and said, “Hey, you should do that.”  And Anatomy of a Dinner Party was born. Through networking, inspiration and selfless help from others, Patti’s blog brought a wealth of exciting opportunities including a job offer as the lifestyles editor of Design Is Magazine.  Patti says you should do something that brightens you everyday. Twitter: @DinnerPartyP Facebook page
Meridith Ford Goldman lifeislemonade.com	After 15 years in journalism, Meridith realized she wanted to reinvent herself.  Developing many relationships over the years helped her realize and accomplish what she really wanted to do, start a cooking and lifestyles blog and take the leap to the OTHER side of fine dining and hospitality.  She is now the Director of Editorial Services for The Reynolds Group, a local marketing and PR firm. Meridith’s biggest piece of advice is to embrace change.  If you can embrace change and not be afraid, you will find that your entire network will support you.  Don’t be afraid to leap–they will catch you if you fall. Twitter: @lifeislemonade Facebook page

Q & A

Question: Everyone is always telling me that I need to start a blog, but I don’t know where to start or what to write.  How did you get your start and inspiration?
Patti- Just be very conversational and write about what you know.
Christy- As long as you have passion about whatever you do [or write], you will get where you want to go.

Question: Do you do any advertising on your blogs?
Patti- I am a part of Amazon Affiliates, but I’m not making any money from it because I don’t put any time into it.  I feel uncomfortable trying to sell to the people reading my blog so I generally stay away from advertising.  Every Friday I do “Fun Find Friday” where I highlight something that is interesting to me.  It is a lot of fun, but I don’t make any money doing it.

Question: How did you get your readership up so much?
Patti- I saw a significant jump after popular blogs linked Anatomy of a Dinner Party to their pages.  It’s really all about networking.  Linking back to other people’s pages is a great way to pay it forward.
Meredith on Networking- Networking is something you absolutely need to do.  People say it can be all about luck and being in the right place at the right time, but by networking you are PUTTING yourself in the right place at the right time.  The more seeds you plant, the more opportunities will grow.

Question: Did you or do you currently have mentors helping you or certain people that inspire you?
Patti- There are so many wonderful people that have helped me over the last year, even a lot of people I don’t know.
Meredith- My mother, sister, teachers and friends have all be so supportive and inspirational to me.  I have always enjoyed sponging off others. One of my biggest inspirations and mentors was an italian bread maker, whom I met when I was a teacher  at Johnson and Whales.  One day he left me in charge of his class, leaving me to teach the students to make croissants, something I had never gone over with him.  I decided to just teach them the way I knew, but was worried it was not the way he made them.  I showed him how I did it when he returned.  After baking and tasting the delicious crossoints he said, “Well, now they know two ways!”
Christy- I’ve never really had a mentor in regards to my business, but I have had key people I’ve worked with who have been very supportive.  Just remember, if you do not have a mentor or if family and friends don’t support you, don’t let it stop you.  In starting my business, I have found a whole new group of friends and family.

Bloggers To Watch Out For: Career Coaches

July 19, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (1)

Over the past few months, the number of people quitting their jobs was greater than the number of people losing their jobs. Savvy quitters build a support network before they take the plunge, and brilliant quitters enlist professional help. Enter: the Certified Career Coach. One part therapist. One part cheerleader. Two parts butt-kicking taskmaster.

Need a solid coach in your corner of the ring? Michelle Ward, Dyana Valentine and Chrissy Scivicque are at the top of their game.

Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up
whenigrowupcoach.com
I’ll admit it — I’m a tad biased in Michelle’s favor. She coached me out of my cubicle doldrums and into freelance bliss, so I owe her my firstborn child. A graduate of NYU / Tisch’s musical theater program and a certified life coach, Michelle brings theatrical flair and a “wagon full of enthusiasm” to every session. She recently raised her rates and is poised to explode, so book a free 30-minute consultation call while you still can.

For a weekly dose of self-exploration, bookmark Michelle’s ongoing blog feature: Tough Question Tuesday.

Dyana Valentine
dyanavalentine.com
Generous. Ambitious. A master of personal marketing. Dyana leads by example, and her clients feel the heat. By her own admission, Ms. Valentine’s coaching style is “not for the weak of heart.” She prides herself on helping self-starters finish what they started, using Community Psychology principles to light the way. As one client put it, “if I had to be shipwrecked on a desert island, I’d want Dyana with me.”

For a no-holds-barred explanation of the power of “no,” check out Dyana’s article on “No-gotiation.”

Chrissy Scivicque of Eat Your Career
eatyourcareer.com
Chrissy serves up a powerhouse combo platter — she’s a certified nutritionist AND an experienced career coach. Yum. As the creator of Office Arrow — a popular resource for administrative professionals — Chrissy has a firsthand grasp on the challenges of running an online business. She’s a clear communicator with a nourishing perspective on life, love and work — and all the snacks in between.

For a trio of tasty coaching treats, download Chrissy Scivicque’s free workbooks on stress management, time management and career reinvention.

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer + editor + organization freak. She designs rockstar resumes, leads personal branding jam sessions, writes marketing copy and teaches wallflowers how to hustle like a gangsta’. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away @alex_franzen.

Daddy’s Day is Almost Here!

June 14, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (1)

Father’s Day is around the corner and every year its the same. We ponder WHAT to get our dear dads for a gift. We all know that whatever we hand them they’ll be thankful for; but we always want to push the envelope! When we are pressed for time and don’t have the effort left to make something extremely sentimental, here is some advice from your friends at CRAVE on what to do that will make him smile.

Try and remember what your dad is passionate about. Is he an outdoors-man? Cook? Tech-savvy? Music lover? With some passion he has in mind its always easier to direct your gift towards a certain theme and come out successful. It will help you avoid spending hours shopping with no clue of what to get as well as guaranteeing that he will appreciate the gift and the thought you put into it.
If still stuck on where to begin with finding a gift, maybe go in a different direction then a simple gift from the store. Does you’re dad love a certain comedian or band? Grab tickets to a concert.

Dad’s love knowing you want to spend time with them, so if time allows, do an activity that involves doing something together. Time spent is more precious than any other gift money could buy!

Remember first and foremost that its your dad’s day! All that matters truly matters is that you make sure to tell him he’s special and you love him.

Ready to Go From Passion to Profit? Join CRAVEatlanta at SPARK & HUSTLE with Tory Johnson

June 9, 2010 by Laura Scholz | Comments (0)

You may recognize Tory Johnson from Good Morning America or one of her five bestselling books.  After being unexpectedly fired from a job she loved, she was determined to transition from employee to entrepreneur, and 11 years ago with just $5,000 she started Women For Hire. She’s grown her small, unknown, solo-venture with no track record or clients into a multimillion dollar business with multiple income streams and a national presence.

Even better, she’s bringing her expertise to Atlanta with the all-new Spark & Hustle National Conference from July 29-31!  This special event will offer real-world, right-now tactics and strategies to launch or grow a small business.  Every minute of this three-day program led by Tory focuses on tangible take-aways that attendees can begin to implement immediately: defining your authentic brand; determining where and how to reach your target audience; pricing for profit; selling without feeling sleazy; overcoming sales objections; generating media coverage for profit not vanity; building your digital identity—and so much more.

We’re thrilled to announce that several CRAVE entreprenesses will be offering their expertise as panelists and speakers, including:

Laura Scholz CRAVEatlanta Scholz Communications On how to GENERATE MEDIA COVERAGE

Shameeka Ayers The Broke Socialite On how to PROFIT FROM YOUR PASSION

Alyson Hoag Authentic Beauty On how to DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS & DEVELOP AN AUTHENTIC BRAND

Jennifer Shields Posh Tot Events Panelist on how to PRICE FOR PROFIT

We’ll also be hosting an exclusive meet & greet with Tory during the event, free to conference attendees and giving away CRAVE-branded swag bags, so if you have any items you’d like to include, please email brittany@craveparty.com.

In addition, we’re offering a special discount to our CRAVE ladies. Use the discount CRAVE to save $200 on the standard registration fee!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!

It’s World Cup Time!

June 7, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Ladies! The World Cup is on this week, so why not throw a fabulous party to celebrate! Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and throwing a party will be just another fun reason to sit around the TV with the gals and drool over men in jerseys.

So what are the three key items necessary for throwing a great party? Friends, food, and some fun drinks. With those elements you’re bound to have fun.

First, lets start off with friends. Invite your best gal pals over (probably 8 to 10 ladies) and ask them to previously pick a team to cheer for. Then suggest they wear the colors of their team to the party. It will add a small hint of competition to the group and keep your ladies having fun screaming for their men during the game.

Second, it may be a soccer party but the snacks don’t have to be the typical game food of chicken wings and burgers. For your ladies, whip up a batch of cupcakes or if in a time crunch grab some from your local grocer and decorate them with the colors of the teams playing. As for the other snacks, everything needs to be decent at room temperature, since once the game starts the attention will be focused more on the TV. Perhaps some bruschetta and caprese salad would be yummy finger food that will leave your guests happy and satisfied. If feeling too crunched for time on the snacky goods, ask your gals to each bring something small and yummy with them when they come. It will help relieve some of the stress and you know then you’ll have plenty of food to go around.

Third, but just as important are those drinks! Decide to make some of your favorite cocktails or bubbly that will keep the girls having fun throughout the game. Perhaps a drink that includes the colors of the teams! Drinks are always fun but no one wants to bust their budget on buying alcohol that not everyone will like, so let your girlfriends know you will be providing some drinks, but suggest they bring more if they have a specific or picky preference.

So no more excuses and procrastinating! You now have all you need for a successful party! All that’s left is letting the gals know and start getting caught up on your knowledge of the teams and the gorgeous men playing. Games start June 11th so get your head in the game and get your party started!

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